14 Ağustos 2014 Perşembe

Fasting the Six Days of Shawwal

Shawwal is the Islamic month that is
immediately after Ramadhan, the first day being 'Eid al-Fitr.

What is the ruling on fasting six days
of Shawwal? Is it wajib (obligatory)?

Praise be to Allah.

Fasting six days of Shawwal after the
obligatory fast of Ramadhan is Sunnah Mustahabbah, not wajib. It is recommended
for the Muslim to fast six days of Shawwal, and in this there is great virtue
and an immense reward. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him
a reward as if he had fasted a whole year, as was reported in a sahih hadith
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Abu Ayyub (may
Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"Whoever fasts Ramadhan and follows
it with six days of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime."
Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nisa'i and Ibn Majah

The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) explained this when he said: "Whoever fasts for six
days after ('Eid) al-Fitr has completed the year: (whoever does a good deed
(hasanah) will have ten hasanah like it)." According to another report:
"Allah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting
ten months, and fasting six days completes the year." [An-Nisa'i and Ibn
Majah. See alsoSahih at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib, 1/421). It was also narrated by
Ibn Khuzaymah with the wording: "Fasting for the month of Ramadhan brings
the reward of ten like it, and fasting for six days brings the reward of two
months, and that is the fasting of the whole year."

The Hanbali and Shafi'i fuqaha'
explained that fasting six days of Shawwal after fasting Ramadhan makes it as
if one has fasted for an entire year of obligatory fasts, because the
multiplication of the reward applies even to nafil fasts, because each hasanah
brings the reward of ten like it.

Another of the important benefits of
fasting six days of Shawwal is that is makes up for any shortfall in a person's
obligatory Ramadhanfasts, because no one is free of shortcomings or sins that
have a negative effect on his fasting. On the Day of Resurrection, some of
hisnafil deeds will be taken to make up the shortcomings in his obligatory
deeds, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"The first thing for which people
will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their salah
(prayer). Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels -
although He knows best - 'Look at the salah of My slave, whether it is complete
or incomplete.' If it is perfect, it will be recorded as perfect, and if
something is lacking, He will say, 'Look and see whether My slave did any
voluntary (nafil) prayers.' If he did some voluntary prayers, [Allah] will say,
Complete the obligatory actions of My slave from his voluntary actions.' Then
all his actions will be dealt with in a similar manner." Narrated by Abu
Dawud

And Allah knows best.

When should a Muslim start fasting six
days of Shawwal? When can I start fasting six days ofShawwal, since we have
annual leave right now?

Praise be to Allah.

You can start fasting six days of
Shawwal from the second day of Shawwal, because it is haram to fast on the day
of 'Eid. You can fast the six days at any time during Shawwal, although the
best of good deeds are those which are done soonest.

The standing committee received the
following question:

Should fasting the six days be done
immediately after Ramadhan, following the day of 'Eid or is it permissible to
do it a few days after'Eid in the month of Shawwal or not?

They replied as follows:

These days do not have to be fasted
immediately after 'Eid al-Fitr; it is permissible to start fasting them one or
more days after 'Eid, and they may be done consecutively or separately during
the month of Shawwal, according to what is easier for a person. There is plenty
of room for maneuver in this matter, and this is not obligatory, it is Sunnah.

And Allah is the Source of strength. May
Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions and grant them
peace.

Do the six days of Shawwal have to be fasted
consecutively?

With regard to the six days of Shawwal
after Ramadhan, is it a condition that they should be fasted consecutively, or
can I separate them? I want to fast them in three sessions, on the two days of
the weekend.

Praise be to Allah.

It is not a necessary condition that
they should be fasted consecutively. If you fast them separately or
consecutively, it is OK. The sooner you do them, the better, because Allah says
(interpretation of the meanings):

"So compete in good deeds."
Al-Qur'an 5:48

"And march forth in the way (which
leads to) forgiveness from your Lord." Al-Qur'an 3:133

"[Musa - peace be upon him - said:]
… and I hastened to You, O my Lord, that You might be pleased." Al-Qur'an
20:84

And (you should hasten to fast these six
days) because delaying may cause problems. This is the view of the Shafi'is and
some of the Hanbalis, but it is OK if you do not hasten it and you delay it
until the middle or end of the month.

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:

"Our companions said: it is
mustahabb to fast six days of Shawwal. Because of this hadith they said: it
ismustahabb to fast these days consecutively at the beginning of Shawwal, but
if one separates them or delays them until after Shawwal, this is permissible,
because he will still be following the general guidelines of the hadith. We
have no dispute regarding this matter, and this was also the view of Ahmad and
Dawud." Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab

Can a person start fasting six days of
Shawwal when he still has days to make up from Ramadhan?

If a person fasts six days of Shawwal
after Ramadhan when he has not yet completed the Ramadhan fast - because he did
not fast ten days of Ramadhan for a legitimate reason - will he have the same
reward as a person who fasted all of Ramadhan and followed it with six days of
Shawwal, i.e. will he be like a person who fasted for a lifetime? Please
explain to us, may Allah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allah.

The precise rewards for the deeds which
people do for the sake of Allah is something which is known only to Allah. If a
person seeks the reward from Allah and strives to obey Him, his reward will not
be lost, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"We shall not make the reward of
anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner to be
lost." Al-Qur'an 18:30

If someone has missed some of the days
of Ramadhan, he should fast them first, then fast six days of Shawwal, because
he cannot follow the fast of Ramadhan with six days of Shawwal unless he has
completed his Ramadhan fast.

And Allah is the source of strength. May
Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them
peace.

Does one have to fast six days of
Shawwal every year?

If someone fasts six days of Shawwal,
then one year he gets sick or something prevents him from fasting, or he is too
lazy to fast, will there be any sin on him? We have heard that if a person
fasts these six days one year, he must never give up this practice thereafter.

Praise be to Allah.

Fasting six days of Shawwal after the
day of 'Eid is Sunnah. It is not wajib (obligatory) on the person who does this
once or more often to continue doing it. He is not guilty of a sin if he does
not fast these days.

And Allah is the Source of strength. May
Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and grant him peace.